Main content

Africa's digital transformation

Who are the big beneficiaries of Africa's rapidly improving internet connectivity?

The rollout of the internet in Africa has been patchy. Some countries have used it to leapfrog others, boosting their economies. For many others, new networks and technologies have yet to bear fruit. From Sudan to Ethiopia to the DRC, the continent is marred by regular internet shutdowns, with the aim of stopping anti-government protesters from organising. And very few countries have taken steps to define the rules of digital privacy and data protection. Yet, Africa remains the fastest growing internet market in the world, with one study suggesting that by 2025 the continent will have 600 million internet users. So, who are gaining most from Africa’s improved online connectivity? Are they the foreign technology giants amassing people’s personal data, governments who can control the flow of information - or Africa's citizens who now have more choices and a voice like never before? Join Julian Marshall and guests as they discuss the winners and losers of Africa's digital transformation.

(Photo: Sudanese protester Alaa Salah during a demonstration in Khartoum in April, 2019. Courtesy of Lana H. Haroun)

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 6 Jul 2019 03:06GMT

Contributors

Berhan Taye - global digital rights group, Access Now

Nanjala Nyabola - author, Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics

Chibuzor Obiora - technology entrepreneur

Nnenna Nwakanma - World Wide Web Foundation

Also featuring

Tagreed Abdin - protester in Khartoum

Kojo Boakye - Facebook's Head of Connectivity for Africa

Michael Kwet - Yale Law School

Charles Murito - Country Manager for Google, Kenya

Picture

Sudanese protester Alaa Salah during a demonstration in Khartoum in April, 2019. Photo: Courtesy of Lana H. Haroun

Broadcasts

  • Fri 5 Jul 2019 08:06GMT
  • Fri 5 Jul 2019 23:06GMT
  • Sat 6 Jul 2019 02:06GMT
  • Sat 6 Jul 2019 03:06GMT

The Real Story Podcast

Subscribe via your favourite podcast app...

Podcast